Data transmission system



Sept. 29, 19420 D. E. MORRISON DATA TRANSMISSION SYSTEM Filed April 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l Laferal Def/ecfl'on Super E levafl'an I I r 2 M 2 "8 Q2 m W m w m n A n INVENTOR [101151115 E.Murri5un 1 BY d6. MM

ATTORNEYS Arb/frary 3 5 I.

Sept, 2, 1942. D. E. MORRISON 2,296,864

DATA TRANSMISSION SYSTEM Filed April 9, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 53 42 1 i TEE INVENTOR Dan. 1115 E Murri;snn BY ag- M ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 29, 1942 OFFICE DATA TRANSMISSION SYSTEM Douglas E. Morrison, United States Army,

ton, Ga.

Application April 9, 1941, set-n1 No. 387,658 3 Claims. (01. 33-48) (Granted under the act oi March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to a data transmission system especially adapted for use in an ordnance fire control organization.

It is a prime object of the invention to provide a flexible and simple data transmission system that can be controlled by one or more operators located at spaced points. a

A further object of the invention is to provide a data transmission system adapted to the deliberate and controlled dispersion of gunfire.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a fire control system adapted for the purpose of causing the guns controlled thereby to systematically search the area in the vicinity of the predicted position of the target.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear from a description of a preferred embodiment as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the data transmission system of this invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the junction box taken upon the line 2-2 oi Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the junction box as viewed from the right end of the junction box as seen in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the junction box taken upon the line li -5 of Fig. 2;

sion conduits 20, 2| connecting the vertical and lateral deflection receivers of each gun G with the corresponding outputs of the Junction box,. respectively.

5 Each of the transmitters u, l2, l3, l5 and it are substantially identical in construction aside from the fact that the graduated scales thereof will be varied to conform with the deflections to be transmitted, consequently a description of one will sufiice'as a disclosure for each of the transmitters which with reference to Fig. 5 will be seen to comprise a cylinder 22 formed at one end portion to receive in fluid-sealed relation a tubular outlet member as. At its opposed end portion, the cylinder 22 is internally threaded or otherwise suitably formed in similar manner to receive a screw 26 which may be rotated in interthzeaded relation with respect to the cylinder to advance its inner end portion 25 from substantially the rear end of the bore of the cylof rubber or similar flexible material is attached to the inner end portion 25 of the screw in snugfitting relation to the bore of the cylinder, as by the removable fastener Z'l' as indicated in Fig. 5. A handwheel 28 is keyed or similarly amxed upon the outer end portion of the screw 24 to facilitate manual rotation thereof and a graduated scale S is secured to the cylinder 22 longitudinally thereof graduated in units of the particular deflection or other value to be transmitted which Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through in the case of transmitter it would be supe one of the transmitters, all of which are substantially identical in construction; and

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view through one of the receivers, all of which are substantially identical in construction.

Referring now to the drawings and more par.- ticularly to Fig, 1, there is shown a data transmission system in accordance with the present invention which comprises a junction box it],

elevation. A pointer 29 is slidably mounted upon the cylinder for movement of its index end over the scale S and is biased by a spring 3% into a normal position wherein its outer end 3i engages the handwheel 28 whereby translator-y movement of the handwheel in advancing the screw it will move the pointer inwardly over the scale and the spring 30 will act to move the pointer outwardly over the scale as the handwheel 28 superelevation transmitter II, vertical deflection is tr s ed reversely in etracting the screw.

transmitter l2, arbitrary vertical deflection correction transmitter l3, flexible hydraulic transmission-conduit it connecting the transmitters M, i2, 63 with the junction box, lateral deflec- The Junction box IE comprises a rectangular frame 32 supported by legs 33 at its four corners. Suitable members 36 provided with longitudinal ways it are secured to the longitudinal tion transmitter is, arbitrary lateral deflection 0 sides of frame it with the ways in planar relacorrection transmitter l6, flexible hydraulic transmission conduit il connecting the transmitters IE, it with the junction box, a vertical and lateral deflection receiver l8 and I9, respection. In one end portion of the frame Ill a rectangular vertical deflection cylinder block 35 is disposed for sliding movement within the frame as by having tongues 37 formed on its opposed tively, for each gun G, and hydraulic transmissides disposed in the ways or grooves 35 of memhers u. A similar cylinder block 3815 similar y disposed in the opposed end. portion of frame Ill for lateral deflections. Each of the" cylinder blocks 38 and 38 comprises a plurality of through parallel cylindrical bores '38, one bore for each of the guns with which the system is to be employed, conveniently shown as four in the-prescut disclosure for the purpose of illustration. The

outer ends of the bores 38 of each of the cylinder blocks 38, 38 are closed in fluid-sealed relation -by plugs 48 adjustable by means of adjusting screws '4! mounted in interthreaded relation in,

blocks 42 secured in theouter end portion of each bore 38. A piston 43 is mounted in each of the bores 33 of each cylinder block 36, 38 and piston rods 44 are secured to ,each of thepistons in opposed axial alignment as shown in' Fig. 1. A cam 45 is mounted between the opposed ends of the piston rods 44 for sliding movement transversely of the frame l8 and is maintained in a normal predetermined position ,by springs 48interposed between theouter sides of the members 34 and the-adjacent ends of the cam outwardly projecting through the members.

lever 41 is pivoted at its lowenend portion 48 to a-member 48 suitably secured transversely of the frame l0, and inserted through an aperture and cylinder blocks 38, 38 through the cylinders 8|, respectively. Also the conduits leading from the bores 38 of vertical deflection cylinder block 38 are connected to the vertical deflection receivers l8 and the conduits 2| leading from the bores 38 of lateral deflection cylinder block 38 are connected to the lateral deflectionreceivers I! of each gun. The system is then filled with asuitable fluid and the pistons 58 of the receivers l8 and I8 are adjusted to define a line of sight in the vertical plane containing the axis of the bore whenthe various transmitters are at zero reading which will be with the pointers 28 thereof disposed centrally of the scales S. The adjustment may be effected by the adjusting screws 4| and plugs 40. It will, of course, be understood by those skilled in the art that the sights, either formed by the pistons 58 or controlled thereby, may be initially displaced with respect to the axes of the bores of the guns to effect calibration of the battery. The superelevation, vertical de- To facilitate transverse sliding movement of the cam -.45, a

58 in the cam 48 to project a distance above the cam convenient for manipulation by an operator whereby pivotal movement of the lever will or 2| leading to the receivers l8 and i8 of eachgun G, respectively.

As clearly shown in Fig. 6, each receiver comprises a tubular member 54 formed at one end 88 to receive the flexible hydraulic conduit 28 or 2|, as the case may be. A piston 58 is mounted within the tubular member 54 "with one end portion 51 projecting without the tubular member and provided at its inner end with an obturator cup 58. To ensure movement of the piston axially of the'tubular member 56, a packing and guide gland 59 is secured to the tubular member about the piston 58 as shown. Rotatably mounted clips 68 and 8| are secured to the piston and tubular member, respectively, and a cord or chain flection, lateral deflection and arbitrary correction transmitter operators will rotate the handwheels 28 of their respective transmitters to position the pointers 28 thereof in accordance with the deflections to be transmitted. Displacement of the ends of the screws 24 from their normal zero central positions within the transmitter cylinders will displace the fluid within conduits l4, l1 and the'pistons within the cylinders 5|,

piston rods 52 and cylinder blocks 38, 38 accordingly in proportion to the additive displacements effected by the transmitters connected thereto. Movement of thedeflection cylinder blocks relative to the pistons 43 will displace the fluid in the bores 39 and conduits 28, 2| to likewise displace the pistons 58 in accordance with the transmitted deflections and thereby set the sights in conformity with the transmitted deflections.

The cam is designed so that in its normal position the pistons 43 and piston rods 44 will occupy such positions that the sights on the guns when trained upon a target will cause all guns to be directed at the same point; that is, the point fixed by the transmitted deflections and usually calculated by a suitable predictor such as the predictor P in my copending application, Serial No.387,65'7 filed April 9, 1941. To cause each of the guns to systematically search about the point fixed by the transmitted deflections, the lever 41 is moved to the left as shown in Fig. 4 which displaces the cam 45 to the left and which is designed to effect such relative movement of the piston rods 44 and pistons 43 as to cause the sights to be displaced in a manner such that number gun will search up and to the right,

- number 2 gun will search up only, number 3 gun tical deflection receiver I8 is mounted upon each gun or gun -cradle, as desired, to actuate the sights thereof in .accordance with transmitted lateral and vertical deflections, or the outer ends of the pistons 58 of the receivers may be formed to serve as the sights directly.

In the embodiment shown, the receiver I8 is I will search up and to the left, and number 4 gun will search left only. Upon returning the lever 41 .to its normal initial position the sights will also return to their originally deflected positions. To cause the guns to search in directions opposite to those above specified, the lever 41 and cam 45 will be displaced to the right as viewed in Fig. 4; The area to be searched may be controlled by the amount of displacement of the cam 45.

As will be clearly seen from Fig. 6, the weight 83 of each receiver will serve to urge the piston 56 thereof toward a normal retracted position adjacent the input end of the flexible cable 20 or 2|, thus creating a back pressure upon the fluid in the conduits and tending to restore the entire system to its original position of zero displacement,

Having now described a present preferred embodiment of the invention, I claim:

1. In a hydraulic transmission system incombination, a vertical deflection receiver having a I piston and a piston rod adapted to serve as a sight, a lateral deflection receiver having a piston and a piston rod adapted to serve as a sight, means for mounting the lateral deflection receiver upon a gun with said piston rod disposed for horizontal movement and to serve as a sight, means for mounting the vertical deflection receiver upon said gun with said piston rod thereof disposed for vertical movement and to serve as a .sight for coaction with the lateral deflection sight, and conduits connected to the receivers adapted to transmit fluid from a remote point to said reoeivers effective to displace said pistons.

2. In a hydraulic transmission system in combination, a frame, a pair of cylinder blocks provided with a plurality of parallel bores, means slidably mounting the cylinder blocks in opposed portions of said frame with said bores in opposed parallel relation. a piston mounted in each of said bores for reciprocable movement to and from adjacent end portions of opposed bores, piston rods secured to said pistons and terminating in spaced relation intermediate the cylinder blocks, a cam mounted on said frame engaging the adjacent ends of said piston rods, means for reciprocating said cam transversely of the piston rods, outlet members for each of said bores secured to the cylinder blocks, a receiver for each bore, each of said receivers having a displaceable piston, conduits connecting each outlet member with its corresponding receiver effective to transmit fluid from the bores to said receivers for displacing the pistons in the latter, and means for sliding the cylinder blocks in said frame.

3. In a hydraulic transmission system, a transmitter comprising in combination a cylinder, a screw having one end portion thereof disposed within the cylinder mounted in interthreaded engagement with an end portion of the cylinder, a handwheel secured to the outer end portion of the screw, a packing cup secured to the end portion of the screw disposed in saidcylinder, a pointer slidably mounted upon the cylinder, means biasing said pointer into engagement with said handwheel, a scale mounted upon the cylinder for cooperation with the pointer, and means for securing a conduit to the cylinder.

DOUGLAS E. MORRISON. 

